Sinker.



PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

J. H. SHEPHERD.

SINKER.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 27. 1906.

W/ T/VESSES A TTORNB ys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SINKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1906.

Application filed February 2'7, 1906. Serial No. 303,249.

To It whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. SHEPHERD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huron, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Sinker, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sinkers for fishing-nets, seines, and the like, and has for its object to rovide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient evice of this charactercapable of being readily attached to or detached from the net and by means of which the net may be conveniently supported in vertical position when set for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sinker having a longitudinal groove or channel for the reception of one edge of the net and means for locking the sinker against longitudinal and lateral displacement.

A still further obj ect is to generally improvethis class of devices so as to add to their utility and durability, as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a net or seine, showing a sinker constructed in accordance with my invention in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sinker. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on theline 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar View taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the body portion of the sinker detached. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the locking key or wedge and retaining-bands detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin all the figures of the drawlngs.

The sinker is particularly designed for use in connection with fishing nets or seines and, by way of illustration, is shown attached to a net of the ordinary construction, in which 5 designates the lower supporting rope or cable, and 6 the network or woven mesh. I

The device consists of a cylindrical body portion 7, preferably cast or otherwise drawings, forming a curved formed of metal and having its opposite ends curved or rounded and its side walls provided with a longitudinally-disposed seating recess 8 for the reception of the rope or cable 5.

The side walls of the recess 8 are inclined or beveled, as shown, and communicating with said recess is a pair of spaced openings 9, defining terminal and intermediate connecting-webs 10 and. 11, respectively. The side walls of the openings 9 are inclined to form continuations of the walls of the recesses 8, and the adjacent walls of the body portion at the reduced end of each 0 ening are cut away, as indicated at 12. T e free ends of the connecting-webs 10 and 11 are curved to conform to the shape of the rope or cable 5, the intermediate web 11 being of greater length than the terminal webs 10 for the purpose hereinafter described.

Disposed within the longitudinal groove or recess 8 is a locking-key 13, the side walls of which are inclined to conform to the inclination of the walls of said recess, while the opposite ends of the key are preferably at 14 to conform to the curvature of the adjacent ends of the body portion. The upper or exposed face of the key and the ad j acent side walls thereof are formed with grooves or seats 15, adapted to receive spring locking bands or clips 16, the ends of which pass through the reduced ends of the openings 9 and are bent laterally in opposite directions and seated in the cut-away portions or depressions 12, as shown. The lower or active face of the key 1 is provided with an intermediate upwardly curved or bowed portion 17, disposed in vertical alinement with the intermediate connecting-web 11 and also with spaced depending projections or lugs 18, adapted to bear against the rope or cable at the openings 9. By having the key formed in this manner when the locking members or clips are placed in position the rope or cable by contact with the intermediate web 1 1 will be forced within the recess or bowed portion 17 while the de ending projections or lugs 18 will engage t e rope on each side of the web 11 and force the latter in contact with the terminal webs 10, thereby effectually locking the sinker against accidental longitudinal and lateral displacement.

Attention is called to the fact that by having the locking-clips seated in the grooves or recesses in the locking-key with their free ends bent laterally into engagement with the depressions 12 said clips form, in effect, a continuation of the side walls of the body portion, thereby preventing undue wear on the clips when drawing the net over rocky bottoms.

In attaching the clip to the net the supporting rope or cable 5 is introduced into the longitudinal recess 8, after which the lockingkey is placed in position and the spring cllps or bands forced downwardly through the wedge shaped openings 9 and the ends thereof bent laterally into engagement with the depressions 12.

To remove the sinker, it is merely necessary to straighten the ends of the clips, when the latter may be readily withdrawn from the seating-recesses and the locking-key detached to permit the removal of the rope or cable. If desired, however, the locking-key may be dispensed with, the sinker being retained in position on the rope or cable by engagement with the bands or clips.

The sinkers may be made in different sizes and plated, japanned, or otherwise coated to protect the same from the action of the water.

I claim 1. A sinker provided with a seating-groove for the reception of a cable, and a locking-key seated in the groove and provided with a depending projection adapted to engage the cable.

2. A sinker provided with a seating-groove for the reception of a cable, a locking-key seated in the groove and provided with a depending portion adapted to engage the cable, and means for retaining the locking-key in operative position.

3. A sinker provided with a seating-groove for the reception of a cable and having openings communicating with the groove, a locking-key seated in the groove and engaging the cable, and locking members engaging the walls of said openings for retaining thelocking-key in operative position.

4. A sinker provided with a longitudinal seating-groove for the reception of a cable and the groove and defining spaced connectingwebs, a locking-key seated in the groove and engaging the cable, and clips passing through said openings and engaging the lockingkey.

5. A sinker provided with a seating-groove for the reception of a cable and having openings communicating with the groove and defining spaced connecting-webs of different heights, a locking-key seated in the groove and engaging the cable, and means for re taining the locking-key in operative position.

6. A sinker comprising a body portion having a longitudinal groove for the reception of a cable and provided with spaced wedge-shaped openings communicating with having openings communicating with said groove, a locking-key seated in the groove and engaging the cable, and clips engaging the locking-key and having their ends passing through the openings and extended laterally in contact with the adjacent walls of the body portion.

7. A sinker comprising a body portion having a longitudinal groove for the reception of a cable and provided with spaced openings communicating with the groove and defining intermediate and terminal connecting-webs of different heights, a lockingkey seated in the groove and having a recess formed therein opposite the intermediate web and adapted to receive the adjacent portion of the cable, and means for retaining the locking-key in engagement with the cable.

8. A sinker comprising a body portion having depressions formed in its side walls and provided with a longitudinal seatinggroove for the reception of a cable, there being openings formed in the body portion and communicating with the seating-groove, a locking-key seated in said groove and engaging the cable, and clips engaging the lockingkey and having their ends extended through said openings and bent laterally into engagement with the depressions in the body portion.

9. A sinker comprising a body portion having a longitudinal seating-groove formed therein for the reception of a cable and provided with openings defining connectingwebs of different heights, a locking-key seated in the groove and provided with an intermediate recess and spaced depending lugs, and means engaging the locking-key and seated within said openings for locking said key in engagement with the cable.

10. A sinker comprising a body portion having a longitudinal wedge-shaped seatinggroove formed therein for the reception of a cable, and having its side walls provided with depressions, there being openings formed in the body portion and communicating with the groove, a correspondinglyshaped locking-key seated in the groove and provided with seating-recesses, and clips engaging the seating-recesses in the key and having their ends passing through said openings and bent laterally into engagement with the depression for locking said key in. contact with the cable.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. SHEPHERD.

Witnesses:

G. H. MELTZER, A. F. MELTZER. 

